Despite having the largest college systems in the country, just around 55% of California’s working-age adults hold a college degree or other postsecondary credential, according to Lumina Foundation, A Stronger Nation report in 2024. The state remains well short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of 70% of Californians earning a postsecondary credential by 2030. 55Percentage of adults ages 25-64 in California who have a post-high school credential of some kind. This includes 47% of adults with an associate degree or higher and 8% of adults with a short-term certificate or certification, according to the Lumina Foundation. 25Ranking of California in post-high school educational attainment in 2024, is slightly higher than Florida at 26th (54.8%) and Oregon at 29th (54.6%), but far behind states like Colorado at 2nd (64.3%) and Utah at 4th (62.6%). The District of Columbia has the nation’s highest education attainment rate (73%). 37Percentage-point gap in four-year graduation rates between the two California public four-year systems, with 73% of freshmen at the University of California graduating within four years compared with 36% at California State University. The gap narrows to 24 percentage points (86% at UC and 62% at CSU) in six-year graduation rates, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Data source: Lumina Foundation, A Stronger Nation report in 2024; Public Policy Institute of California.
